mariano martene 🧉

wtf is an MCP server? and who is already using it?

i just added a #buildinpublic section to my newsletter SaaS-HQ.com at the end of each issue, i’ll share: ➝ key metrics from the previous edition ➝ a 3-bullet update on what i’m working on the newsletter is all about growing SaaS, so tracking its own growth just makes sense.

We put pricing on our landing page from day one. Smart move or mistake? Early on, we priced at ~$150 to land our first customers. Later, we 10x’d it for a high-value offer. ✅ Qualifies leads ✅ Allows PLG ❌ Scares off leads ❌ Prevents talking Do you publish pricing upfront? #saas #buildinpublic

great move from bluesky to capture some of TikTok users 🧉 morning chats with @diselo.xyz

how is possible that google sheets has no dark-mode after 19 years? my mind simple can't comprehend

every time you read or hear the word *problem*, just replace it by the word *opportunity*

newsletters are still the best marketing channel in 2025 every time I send out my newsletter, I see a 50% open rate. with 1k subs, that’s 500 people I’m actively engaging and building relationships. compare that to organic reach: – Fb: ~2.2% – Ig: ~4% – Lin: ~7% also, low effort initiative

start over as many times as you need to

next iteration: Doubling down on what’s working 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 → make a landing page & mvp 😅 @diselo.xyz → 10x prices 💸 → target 500 leads in 2 weeks (🍒👌cherrypicked) → talk & deliver value to early customers last sprint of the year! #buildinpublic #indiehackers #saas

Sell first, build later - no waitlist - no landing page - no MVP With nothing but a mockup, email, and a call, we offered our solution 1/10 cheaper, but 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 on payment. Emails Sent: 71 Replies: 13 Sales: $347 Real validation? Getting paid. #buildinpublic #indiehackers #saas

𝘛𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘴, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴. 𝘛𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴, 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. — 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘡𝘩𝘰𝘶 First, define the problem Next, explore how you can solve it Then, list the resources you’ll need After that, decide how you want the user to feel Finally, play with tools and iterate with your user #saas #buildinpublic

The right AI tool makes everything easier. The wrong one? makes everything harder. We’ve tested the AI CodeGen tools that will speed your product building. In this article we’ll walk you through everything you need to check, so you’ll never say you don't know your tools. #buildinpublic #ai #saas

Surround yourself with compounders Compounders build systems, relationships, and knowledge that grow exponentially over time. Are the people around you building for long term, or sprinting in circles? Code, content, distribution—what will keep growing even when you stop? #saas #buildinpublic

iterate yourself

Distribution > Product A great product without a distribution system is a waste. Slack is great, but Microsoft Teams won by leveraging their ecosystem. Great founders focus on both: building a great product and a system to distribute it. This chart is your reminder. #SaaS #BuildInPublic

Everyone should create their own starterpacks. Not only for the growth hype. It's a way to transfer trust and authority.

Having the right 10 people listen to you, is far more important than having everyone listen to you. #saas #buildinpublic

Created my 'Indie Hackers' starter pack! 📦 Do you build cool stuff on the web? Here is how to get added 👇 👉 Share your best projects in replies 🔄 Like and Repost for visibility go.bsky.app/URXcEKm

Every other week, I send: ✅ 1 to 3 bite-sized case studies to grow your saas ✅ 1 to 3 curated resources from top-notch experts Read by +1500 SaaS founders The next issue? A 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 of the best from 46 issues. Don't miss it: saas-hq.com/subscribe/ #saas #buildinpublic

zuck’s got a lesson for all founders: see something working in a competitor? Just clone it, and deploy fast: custom feeds → copied from #bluesky stories → copied from Snapchat reels → copied from TikTok threads → copied from X/Twitter AR filters → copied from Snapchat #buildinpublic #meta

people is using starter packs to create meetups, how cool is that? #bluesky #saas #founders

Everything went exactly as I planned 5 years ago. Said no entrepreneur ever.

Every SaaS founder should adopt the “3 - 6 rule”: A simple rule of thumb to keep in mind: → If you don’t have any customer interest after 3 months, move on. → If you don’t have any paying customers after 6 months, move on. thoughts? #saas #buildinpublic

Focus on leverage Small changes, big results: fix onboarding → boost retention freemium to paid → fine-tune your “aha moment” better conversion funnel → boost all sales tweak pricing → unlock revenue w/o extra traffic optimize sales → grow all revenue #buildinpublic #saas #growth

I created a Starter Pack with the coolest of the coolest Indie Makers! ✨ Please repost for more visibility and feel free to comment if you want to be added. go.bsky.app/ENuBar1

how much of your revenue comes from the top 10% of signups? if you're early-stage SaaS, I bet is +80%. So why are you focused on activating 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦? the game changes when you 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 on activating the 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝟣𝟢%. so...go and double down on your high-value users. #buildinpublic #saas #growth

here we go... 🌊 🏄